[color=76D0FF]”...aaaaand look at the time, it looks like the ambush will have to wait until after the debriefing.”[/color] She silenced the buzzer which was almost immediately drowned out by protests.
“What?”
“Noo!”
“You can’t leave us hanging with a Longbow cresting the hill and a Raven negating Miss Ziska’s jamming!”
[color=76D0FF]”Patience, guys. I’m not doing 200 pushups because I was debriefing the next generation of Green Knights.“[/color] The looks in their eyes left her with no doubt that they thought that was a pretty good deal, [color=76D0FF]”I know: How about you take the time to think about what you would have done if you had been there instead of one of us and we’ll compare against what really happened when the briefing’s over?”[/color] That had always worked on her when she was that age and badgering her mother for the latest war stories. [color=76D0FF]”Best answer gets the candy bar from my next ration pack.”[/color] She added on her way out for better effect.

[hr]
Marit nodded at the critique, in full agreement and having expected worse. Although Archers were fairly well armored, the Colonel was right in a way - just because you [i]could[/i] didn’t mean you [i]should[/i]. Not if she could help it anyway. She didn’t expect they’d try to salvage the Raven though, despite the benefits. They might even go back for the container she abandoned. [color=76D0FF]”Will there be a sortie to escort the salvage crew?”[/color] She asked when the opportunity arose. Not that she was volunteering, but if it had to be done, it had to be done, and surely there was no way the Ostroc or the Raven would be ready that quickly. ‘And it’s free time in the cockpit.’ The pragmatic part of her brain chided its lazy counterpart. After all, if they could attempt to go get it, why wouldn’t the bad guys? Especially since they’d also be looking for their pilot in that area. At least she assumed, she didn’t know enough to decide if they were the type of people to leave the poor bastard to figure out a way home by himself.

As Hugh was led in, an amused grin slowly grew on her face before transitioning into barely stifled laughter as Dalton held up the mason jar. [color=76D0FF]”Booze really is the mortar that binds humanity together, isn’t it?”[/color] She whispered to whoever was standing next to her, [color=76D0FF]”Think he followed our tracks?”[/color]